Betty Montgomery: Cyclamen give the woodland garden a splash of color

Betty Montgomery More Content Now

Wednesday

Oct 9, 2019 at 10:23 AM

The September heat is behind us and less humid days and cooler nights are here. This time of year most gardeners have their mind set on planting spring bulbs. These months I rejoice when my cyclamen starts to peek through the leaf litter, giving the woodland garden a splash of color. I fell in love with cyclamen many years ago and each year I marvel at how the cyclamen has produced more and more flowers, giving me a lovely show of color.

There are many different species of cyclamen, but the ones that bloom in the fall, cyclamen hederifolium, are my favorite. They pop up out of the ground in shades of rose pink, light pink and white. The reflexed petals are charming and with the leaves coming later, the small flowers are able to show off their lovely butterfly-shaped blooms without the competition of the leaves.

Cyclamen are tuberous, herbaceous perennials that grow from a tuber (bulb-like) that is quite flat. The tuber starts out more rounded and with age, it flattens out and reminds you of a pancake. The older the tuber, the larger it gets. I went to a street flower market in Holland once and saw some that were at least 6 inches or more in size. I am told that the really older ones can be as large as a dinner plate. I have been tempted to dig up some of my oldest ones to see the size but have not had the nerve to disturb them.

The tuber grows just beneath the soil surface and the roots emerge from the top of the tuber. One has to be careful not to plant the tuber upside down. They like to be dry during their dormant season and will take moisture when blooming or when the leaves are present. These darlings are great planted in mass and will naturalize in a woodland setting.

After flowers fade, green and silver mottled, ivy-shaped foliage appears and last through the winter where we live. These charming flowers will self-seed and spread about here and there. I have had some flowers appear a good distance from where they were originally planted. When the seeds are released from the seed capsule, they contain a sticky substance that ants love. Ants tend to take them away, scattering them about here and there.

Cyclamen hederifolium are native primarily to the Mediterranean region. This includes Greece, Italy, Turkey, Lebanon and Israel. There, the summers are hot and dry and the winters are cool and damp. If you can give cyclamen these conditions, they will perform well.

I have several patches of cyclamen in the garden with varying amounts of light. One area I have planted probably does not get as much winter sun as it should. They produce fewer flowers than in other areas. Cyclamen like shade, but all plants need a little sun when the leaves are present to help them grow and produce flowers the following year.

All of my cyclamen are located under deciduous trees. As the trees defoliate I leave the fallen leaves in the bed to help feed the soil and to help prevent weeds from sprouting in the area. Leaves make a nice mulch as they blanket the ground.

When you choose a site, make sure you are not near a sprinkler head, a ditch or a downspout. They like some dampness in the winter but they need to be dry in the summer when those sprinklers are going off. Remember where they originated and this will help you.

Many of you are likely familiar with the florist cyclamen as they have become quite popular to have during the Christmas season. During the 1800s, the Victorians became enamored with cyclamen. They prized these winter-blooming flowers and used them to decorate during this time of year. They were so popular, that much breeding work was done to make the flowers larger as well as different colors and other traits. This work produced the florist cyclamen that we know today.

When you have seen drifts of cyclamen blooming, I bet you too will be enchanted at how these dainty flowers can make a memorable show. I remember well the first time I saw a planting of them under an oak tree and I still think of that charming sight. I hope mine will one day be as thick and lush as those.

Betty Montgomery is a master gardener and author of “Hydrangeas: How To Grow, Cultivate & Enjoy,” and “A Four-Season Southern Garden.” She can be reached at bmontgomery40@gmail.com.

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